A bagful of lies – is that what the controversial Indian Fashion Company (IFC) all about? Just a day back AMR Group blamed their PR Agency for misspelling ‘Council’ as ‘Company’, which nobody bought and now AMR Group’s President – Kashif Usmani who openly stated to Delhi Times/ Times of India in their 30th June edition, “We have postponed the Sunday Event. It will happen a week later…” goes back on that too.
Saturday (30th June) afternoon the PR Agency of AMR Group sends out press release to various media inviting them for the Indian Fashion Company’s launch event at BlueFrog tonight, i.e 1st July, 2012. The President of AMR’s statement was an absolute lie and that too made to a National News Daily. How unprofessional and unethical can one be???
Well that’s not all. The press invite further goes on to mention names of top designers who had in no unambiguous terms denied participating in their event. Rina Dhaka was utterly shocked to hear that her name is used in the Invitation when she mailed AMR her regret and also gave her statement to Delhi Times stating, “I have declined to be part of the IFC now.” Raghavendra Rathore too has expressed his inability to be part of IFC or any of their events and his name too is printed boldly on the invitation. I also spoke with Narendra Kumar in Mumbai and he said that he is totally confused with the developments and have doubts about the real agenda of this body. Most of the names flashed on the invitation are not attending the IFC event. Isn’t this pimping of fashion???
The real objective of AMR in holding this party tonight has in fact got nothing to do with fashion. The party is to celebrate AMR Group’s MD, Kapil Aggarwal’s wife’s birthday. The wannabe Page3 couple thought it to be a smart move to pimp a ride on fashion to get some glamour and class in their party. It is high-time our designers see the underlying motives and not taken on a ride by any Tom, Dick and Harry.
When Vogue, the most prestigious fashion glossy in the world initiated ‘Vogue Fashion Fund’ they did so with Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). The Indian edition of Vogue Fashion Fund too is working in tandem with FDCI. Sir Philip Green of Topshop too constituted Fashion Awards for British designers but in alliance with the British Fashion Council. The mighty Vogue and Topshop feel the need to associate with their respective officially recognised fashion council for philanthropic projects because that is the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). But it is only in India that many Tom, Dick and Harry suddenly becomes a do-gooder for the fashion industry and floats a Council and our desi designers blindly join in only to realise it’s all a farce.
By the way – Many Happy Returns of the Day to Pamal Aggarwal (Wife of Kapil Aggarwal)!
The bi-annual Lakme Fashion Week was losing sheen with not so great designers showcasing their work. But the lineup of designers for the Winter/Festive 2011 edition of Lakme Fashion Week in Mumbai seems impressive and being a Delhi-ite I am only too proud to say that the sheen is added by Delhi designers.
Rohit Bal is doing an off-site show at the Winter/Festive 2011 Lakme Fashion Week. This doesn’t come as a surprise because Bal was inducted in the Team of Advisors of Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) last year. He is also on the Board of Fashion Designers Council of India (FDCI). What comes as a surprise however is the participation of senior Delhi designers who are (or were) in the Board of FDCI that holds the Wills Lifestyle India Fashion Week (WIFW). These designers are JJ Valaya and Rina Dhaka. Wendell Rodricks lately became a regular at WIFW and many say that Rodricks had a fall out with LFW hence the new found loyalty with FDCI. Well Wendell Rodricks too is showcasing at LFW this time besides other stalwarts like Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Narendra Kumar.
Though the friction between FDCI and Lakme is currently at its minimal state, there’s no denying that there exists a shimmering rivalry between the organisors of the two fashion weeks – WIFW and LFW. Major poaching and lobbying takes place like alluring designers with sponsored shows and what not.
Now we also have a new Head of Fashion at IMG Reliance post the exit of former MD of IMG Reliance, Ravi Krishnan. Anjana Sharma, Director-Fashion at IMG Reliance seems to be a team worker and I have heard only good things about her till now.
Now that the Lakme Fashion Week has got an impressive lineup of shows, I sincerely hope that they also improve on the business aspect of the fashion week and not forget that Fashion Weeks are essentially Trade Shows and not Bollywood Tamasha. Heard that the business aspect has been rejuvenated too. Well I will reserve my opinion on that till the week gets over!